Numerous aircraft avionic systems, such as autopilot and flight management systems (FMS), are replete with numerous operational modes. The permutations of these operational modes can cause uncertainty as to what these systems are presently doing, what these systems may do next (including when and where), and what these systems will not do, and why. To assist in alleviating this uncertainty, most aircraft include a display called the Flight Mode Annunciator (FMA).
The basic functionality of the FMA has not changed in over 50 years. Indeed, many current cockpit computer displays simply mimic incandescent lamps of the past. For complex path management in the modern National Airspace System (NAS), the FMA may not reveal enough information, quickly enough, to ensure pilots do not make a path error. Moreover, the FMA design does not naturally communicate what aircraft systems will NOT do. This can cause errors of omission, which can result in operational deviations, because the system didn't do (or communicate about) something it half-knew it was supposed to do. For instance, in modern commercial aircraft, the likelihood of missing a descent target is increased when pilots partially arm, but fail to fully arm, a vertical navigation (VNAV) mode.
Consider, for example, a lateral transition, where an aircraft is on a vector (e.g., heading mode or track mode), but wishes to intercept a flight leg in a flight plan, such as a final approach course. Presently, it can be unclear, just from looking at the lateral map rendered on the display, whether the aircraft will actually capture the flight leg. To confirm the aircraft will capture, the pilot must also look at the FMA. The FMA, however, only conveys textual information that a mode is armed, but provides no information regarding mode capture (e.g., where, when, if, or why). Thus, current flight decks do not communicate the armed and active states of lateral modes in a telling, easily understood manner that is readily available to the pilot.
Hence, there is a need for a system and method of providing aircraft lateral navigation capability feedback to aircraft pilots in a telling, easily understood manner that is readily available to the pilot. The present invention addresses at least this need.